I came across Mama's Buoi by chance when I was doing some last minute research looking for…read moreVietnamese restaurants for our recent trip to Sydney. After reading countless blog reviews, I was determined to try Mama's Buoi out! I must say it was quite a mission finding the restaurant, it is located on Devonshire Street in Surry Hills, so we assumed it would not be a long walk, but it actually took over an hour to get there from the CBD! But it was totally worth it - so happy to have found this gem! Mama's Buoi serves Vietnamese home-style dishes ranging from Vietnamese grills, hot pots, soups, summer rolls and salads. They also serve beers, cocktails and a range of T2 teas (the lemon and ginger flavour is soothing and delicious). From the menu, we ordered the Goi cuon rice paper rolls with prawn and pork ($8 for two rolls, cut in half), the Lemongrass pork/pork spring rolls vermicelli noodle salad bowl ($14), the Coconut tamarind curry ($14) and the BBQ chicken slaw (also $14). The rice paper rolls were yummy, but the nuoc mam dipping sauce on the side was the highlight! My sister had the coconut tamarind curry and she said it was very spicy, but had a wonderful flavour. The lemongrass pork vermicelli was almost perfect, but lacking sauce (ended up putting the rice paper rolls sauce on top!). Finally, the BBQ chicken slaw - succulent chicken with a fresh and and delicious slaw, accompanied by the most amazing rice crisps! All the dishes were fantastic and we all agreed that this was due to the fact that all the spices and herbs were perfectly balanced and everything tasted so fresh! As for the layout and décor, well it is very cool and modern. Loved the stand out giant mural at the back of the restaurant saying "Con co thuong me khong?" translating to "Do you love Mama?". The fit out is wonderfully bright, the menus are pretty and best of all, the kitchen is open, so you can watch the chefs do their thing (the smells are heavenly!). Overall, dining at Mama's Buoi was a great experience - friendly staff, fresh and delicious food and nice atmosphere... now just gotta start planning my next trip over!

A higher end vietnamese restaurant. We came here on a saturday night at around 5.30pm and it was…read moreempty (probably the calm before the storm). We tried fried spring roll, chicken curry and duck curry. Food was definitely overpriced (especially for the spring rolls! $9 for two spring rolls?!), but it was good. It's not memorable but it's decent. I will definitely order the duck curry again. Overall a great place to have a great meal with your family and friends but dont expect authentic Vietnamese food!

Awesomeness: Quick…read moreGood variety of ingredients Love that chicken is grilled then shredded Not over dressed Fresh veggies Good value for quality Work on: Left out one of my salad ingredients I don't like the to go containers. They are reminiscent of Chinese food containers, which don't work well for salads with lots of ingredients.

This was a convenient spot in the basement level of the Pitt Street Mall/QVB that offered very…read morehealthy food options. I had a grilled chicken salad that was great. I was able to choose the vegetables and it made for a great, customized salad. They didn't overdo it with the dressing either, so it was a perfectly balanced salad. Considering it's a mall food court, the ambiance was great - modern and stylish. If you're looking for an easy and relatively cheap and healthy meal, this is a really good spot to visit.

Went here for my birthday a couple years ago. Great food and though expensive was well worth the…read moreprice. Booked the table and arrived 15 minutes early and was seated immediately. Really nice atmosphere. Cozy and quaint. A decent range of quality meats and drinks that did not disappoint. Overall one of the nicer joints I've been in recently.

The restaurant itself is great, food is great and the service is ok…read more When we arrived it was lunch time and the place was pretty empty. There was one waitress serving everyone which was a little frustrating because it ended up getting fairly busy and it took a while for one person to take care of so many tables. Otherwise, food was delicious. Grilled halloumi salad could've had more dressing, it tasted like there was only olive oil drizzled on it so i asked for some lemon wedges. Full rack of ribs (half lamb, half pork) was finger licking goood, you can't go wrong with any of their meat options. Hot, tender, melting off the bone, exactly how it should be!!! Overall good experience.

We're always on the hunt for somewhere to try that we haven't been before. When our personal…read moretrainer recommended Tradewinds in Maroubra, we were keen to try, given that it's also local for us. We are surprised that we hadn't been before. The restaurant can easily be found on Maroubra road with ample parking around. Whilst the restaurant is quite large, and can accomodate couples, families and groups, we recommend booking to guarantee a table. One of the best things about the restaurant is that the staff are just so darn nice. They all appear to love their job, be eager to help and offer suggestions as to what to order. We felt welcome and appreciated the quality service. Furthermore, the service was efficient, with food being delivered in good timing. Food wise, Tradewinds is a modern restaurant / bistro in Maroubra specialising in hearty food; meats on the grill, burgers, pastas, pizzas, salads and plenty of specials with influences from around the world. They have a good range of meats and we absolutely loved their smoked ribs, basted in a delicious - sauce. We ordered the pork ribs on one occasion and the meat platter on another. The meat platter also comes with steak, lamb souvlaki pieces and some of their tasty beer battered steakhouse fries. We also the flash fried salt and pepper calamari, served with fresh rocket and creamy aioli. The kofta special was also delicious; the kofta served with pita, fries and salad. Tradewinds also does plenty of desserts, tea and coffee as well as brunch on weekends. The restaurant suits all demographics - young and old and perfect for any sort of catch up. We recommend trying out this family owned business for the food is great, portions are generous and service is excellent.

The best meat platter in Sydney by far! Make sure to add pepper sauce mmmm delish!…read more Great service, great atmosphere & great food. I highly recommend the meat platter!

We made a last minute booking for a special occasion to the bridge room and only managed to get a…read moreseat at 8.30pm after explaining it was for a special occasion. When we arrived at 8 though they were happy to sit us down and there were a few other empty tables around. It took a good 45mins after we ordered for the entree to come and then another 45mins for the main to arrive so I was really hungry. I asked the waiter if he could hurry up with dessert and that only took 5mins. Go figure. At least during that time they came around twice to offer me complimentary bread. I had a little bit of a tough time ordering because the menu isn't very extensive. For the entree we had the Raw 9+ Wagyu shoulder, grilled enoki mushrooms which was fantastic. So off to a good start food wise. For mains then we had the John Dory and Lamb. I had a bit of a tough time deciding on my mains as there were 3 fish dishes and the rest were meat dishes. I would've loved there to have been another non fish seafood dish for me to choose. Our mains were accompanied by the potato puree which was far better than either main unfortunately. For dessert we had the chocolate cake with chestnut cream, caramel snap and berries. Not the best dessert I've had but then again not bad either. Overall I think I was just a bit underwhelmed by the experience and was stung with a 1.5% credit card surcharge at the end of the meal. I just don't quite understand how the local asian takeaway shop is able to cop the credit card fee if I spend over $30 but a place like this isn't when I'm spending close to $200. Can someone help explain that to me?

It's only been open for 7 weeks and already, The Bridge Room has a corporate following. Located at…read more44 Bridge Street across the road from AMP is the new Modern Australian restaurant, The Bridge Room. The menu is NOT extensive however perfect offering six entrees, six mains and six desserts and some very appealing specials. The oyster salad ($23) for an entree is something you must try. The Kingfish main with white asparagus and fennel is delicious although slightly overcooked and with most mains priced in the $40 range the fine dining seems a little bit staid and still in the 1980's and we are not living in an uncertain post GFC environment. The dessert menu is tempting even if you are totally full you feel at least compelled to order something to taste. Their take on a fruit salad is sensational with mango, passion fruit and a scoop of ice cream with coconut ice on top. Their cheese selection is impeccable which includes a Fromage Daffonise. The staff are very helpful, friendly and know the menu very well. They also know the wine list and were able to recommend suitable wines matched with food. The space is deceptively large and the purple water glasses and decor set the mood for a wonderful meal.

There are some days when you need a protein overload and what better way to satisfy that craving…read morethen with some Brazilian ( not the waxing kind ). Fogo offers Brazilian Churrasco. The venue is very pleasant looking with some cool mini fire pit on the counter and some nice Brazilian posters in the corner. I purchased the deal on a voucher and got 4 Brazilian Platters with a drink for each of us for $55. Insanely priced cause the platter was jam packed with a selection of Churrasco beef, chicken and lamb as well as beef chorizo, bread and some salad. The dish also comes with a side of Fogo Fries. These fries are thick and covered with herbs and served piping hot. Got to say some good ass fries. The meat was plenty and tasty but needed some extra taste from the sauces provided. We also opted to try the dessert which was the chocolate indulgence with a caramelised pineapple on top. This is a winner for chocolate lovers but I found it too rich so could only manage one or two spoons of it. Would like them to provide dessert option of just the pineapple as its caramelised beautifully with the cinnamon. Overall I enjoyed the restaurant. Good atmosphere friendly staff, tasty dish and for fast food it's an other alternative to Maccas or Hungry Jacks.

The churrasco platter comes with a variety of meats such as chorizo, chicken, sliced beef and…read moreMoroccan lamb with salad, dipping sauce and a large bowl of chips. The seasoning on the chips was nice but the meat lacked flavour. The beef and lamb tasted the same - I wasn't taken to morocco. The one dessert they serve was tasty. It was a thick mousse with coffee and chocolate flavours. It's quite sweet but good to share. The grilled pineapple with cinnamon was a refreshing addition. Overall I had a coupon so 4 platters for $55 so at that price you can't complain!

So as a Yank transplant in Sydders I am getting used to the world of Aussie chicken shops. Some are…read moremeh, some are ok, some are good, some are really good. But the Char is truly in a first class of its own. First of all, they have way more than just chicken- amazing salads, incredible pasta dishes, stir fries for days, etc. All consistently tasty and fresh. Their chips are to die for- perfectly crispy. Secondly, all of their dishes appear to be (and taste) completely homemade (I actually think they bottle and sell their sauces.) Lastly, the value for money considering the quality of food is outstanding. They sell massaman lamb shanks which I've been dying to try. Places like the Char make me want to give up my Inner West digs for Bondi... with a squillion places to eat on Bondi Rd, you can't go wrong with choosing the Char.

Why can I say about this place besides yum? I would suggest the Portuguese chicken. I ordered the ¼…read moredark with two sides. The au gratin potatoes were crazy good. They have tons of options for sides and you really could eat for weeks without having the same thing. Char does a wonderful job with their chicken and I ended up craving more from them several times. Highly recommended.

Best fish and chips I've ever had. Very reasonably priced, good portions, everything tasted…read moreamazing, the Calamari is fantastic! Service was great as well, very quick service and the manager is very nice! I definitely recommend this place!